Licensees told to be vigilant over holidays

THE coming Christmas break and the recent changes to the responsible service of alcohol laws were the focus for the Liverpool City Liquor Accord quarterly meeting last week.

The accord, which aims to improve community safety and reduce alcohol-related incidents in Liverpool, is a partnership involving licensees, police, Liverpool Council and the NSW Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing.

Liverpool police licensing sergeant Brad Ray said licensees needed to be on guard during the Christmas period.

"It’s important to keep an extra eye on under-age drinking as it increases once school finishes and over the holidays," he said. "We have a problem in Liverpool and people that are intoxicated are more likely to engage in criminal activity."

Liverpool resident and responsible service of alcohol teacher Ian Bailey said there needed to be more monitoring of patrons at licensed premises.

"As an operator, licensees should know what a customer has consumed," he said. "A lot of staff at these premises still don’t know much about standard drinks or even where alcohol comes from."

Mr Bailey also discussed changes to the laws, which came into effect in August this year.

"The major change is the proof of accreditation, which has changed from a certificate to a plastic card," he said. "Staff are required to have this card on them at all times while working."